Pocket type can opener



1386- 3 1946' J. w. SPEAKER Y POCKET TYPE CAN OPENER Filed March 16, 1945 film-1W5 Baker Patented Dec. 31, 1946 FOCK-ETTYPE, CAN OPENER John W.-Spea'ker, Milwaukee, Wis.

*Applicaition Marc'h 16, 1945,*Serial*No. 583;!)27

4 Claims. (er se-a2 r-his inventionrelates to can openers and has i 'as its-object to' provide acompact,practical-pocket type can opener.

In itsgeneral aspects the can opener of'this invention comprises a body portion and a cutting blade hingedly-con-nected and so designed *th'a-tthe cutting blade may fold flat against the body portion when notuse, to be swung to a position substantially perpendicular to the body for-use. Inasmuch as it is intended that the can opener be carried in the pocket, it is essential that itscutting edge be guarded when the opener is in its folded carrying condition.

"To 'this'e'nd it is an-"object of this invention to provide novel detent means incorporated in thehingeconnection between the parts for yieldingly-holdi'ng the blade folded flat against the 7 body.

-A-nther object of this invention :is to provide a can opener "of the character-described wherein the cutting is effected "by a downward shearing action easily produced by rocking the-opener on a f-ulcrum provided by one edge of a notch in the sideof thebody adapted to embrace the rim of "the "can. 7

With theabove and other objects in view-Which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention 'resides'in the novel construction, combination-and arrangement of parts substantially as herinafterdescfibed and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood-that such changes' 'in the precise embodinini; of-the 'herein'disclosedinvention may be made'as-come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates two complete examples of the physical embodiment of-"theinvention-constructed according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the can opener of this invention applied to a can and illustrating the manner of manipulating the same;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the can opener with its cutting blade folded fiat against the body; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the opener with its cutting blade swung out into operative position;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the composite parts of the opener shown separated; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view similar to Figure 3, but illustrating a slight modification of the invention.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates the body of a can opener constructed in accordance with this invention. 'I'h'e body is stamped'from sheet-metal -a'rldhas-a longitudinal stiffening rib BeXtending 0 substantially throughout the length thereof. A

notch I is formed in one side edge of the body.

' This notch is of a size to embrace the rim 8 ofia can-'13 as shown inFigure 1.

The notch has a re-entrantshape which providesa'shar-p-corn'er' til. "This corner serves as a fulcrum 1-point .about which the body may be rocked during rnanipulation of the opener :as

- illustrated in Figure 1.

' s-Extended from the "notched side edge of the bod'y'is a lip 01 loop 1:! which passes through 'a js'l'ot ILZLina: cutting blade 13 and is curled around the iadjacentedge :portion .14 of the blade. A hinge connection 'is I thus established between the body an'd blade which consists of a curled lip or loop portion onxthe body and a trunnion portion 'on the :blade. "Ihisihi'nge connection allows the blade to vzbe fswung from :a position folded flat against the bodyas shown in Figure 2 to an exvtendedposition of use substantially perpendicular to the/"body as shown 'inFigure 3.

fihe' curved cuttingedge l5 ofthe bladetermiinates adjacent to the notch l as :shown, and

when the opener is in use acts with a clean, downward shearing action as the opener is 'manip lated, itfibeing understood that after each cutting stroke the fulcrum point H! is advanced along 'the' rimptthecan'.

. onithe-blade: with the adjacent. side edge por-" izionsil lvof Pthexbo'dy,

As shown in Figure 2, when the blade is folded flat against the body its cutting edge is guarded. To insure that the blade will be retained in this position against accidentally swinging out to an operative cutting position, detent means are incorporated in the hinge connection. This detent means comprises two small lugs or protrusions l8 on the opposite upper and lower edges of the lip ll 50 located that when the blade is folded fiat against the body its projections l6 snap over these lugs or protrusions and hold the blade fiat against the body. Attention is directed to the fact that the protrusions I8 are so positioned on the ends of the curled lips or loopportions as to engage the arms or projections It on that side thereof which faces the body when the blade is folded flat against the body. This throws the arms or projections l6 outwardly away from the plane of the 3 body thus forcing the pointed end of the blade tightly against the side of the body.

It should also be noted that the inherent resiliency of the spaced arms or projections I6 is utilized in this arrangement to provide spring tension for the detent, the parts being so proportioned that the arms are slightly sprung apart as they ride over the protrusions.

It is, of course, essential that the cutting blade be hardened and it is desirable that the body be likewise hard. Thus, after the parts are assembled the unit is subjected to the customary hard: ening procedure.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention provides an exceptionally compact, highly practical can opener. It will also be apparent that the device may be provided with the conventional type of bottle cap remover 19 as illustrated in Figure 5.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A can opener comprising: a body stamped from sheet metal and having a notch in one side edg thereof, said notch having a sharp corner whereby upon engagement of the notched portion of the body over the rim of a tin can said sharp corner may bite into the underside of a rim to provide a fulcrum about which the body may be swung during manipulation of the can opener; a lip extendin from said side edge of the body adjacent to the, notch, said lip being curled around to provide the female portion of a hinge connection; a outing blade having a cutting edge and a slot along an adjacent edge through which the loop formed by the extended li on the body passes so that said cutting blade is hingedly connected to the body with its cutting edge terminating adjacent to the notch in the body side wall; and a sligh protrusion on an edge of the curled lip of the body engaging with a portion of the blade to provide a detent action for yieldingly retaining the blade flat against the body.

2. A can opener comprising: a body stamped from sheet metal and having a notch in one side edge thereof adapted to embrace the rimof a can with one edge of the notch serving as a fulcrum about which the, body may be rocked during manipulation of the opener; a lip projecting from said side edge of the body and curled around to provide a female portion of a hinge connection; a cutting blade having a slot adjacent to a straight edge thereof through which the curled lip of the body passes to hingedly connect the cutting blade to the body, the edge of the cuttingiblade adjacent to the notch in the body being curved and sharpened so that with the cutting blade substantially perpendicular to the body rocking motion of the body on the fulcrum provided by the engagement of an edge of its notch with the rim of the cam produces a downward cutting action; projections extended from said straight edge of the cutting blade engageabl with the adjacent side edge of the body to limit movement of the cutting blade away from the body to substantially and small lugs on the opposite end edges of the curled lipon the body providing detents engageable with said projections on the cutting blade to yieldingly hold the cutting blade flat against the body.

3. A can opener comprising: a body member providing a handle; a blade member; means hingedly connecting said members in a manner enabling the blade member to be swung from an inoperative position folded flat against the body member to an operative position substantially perpendicular to the body member, said hinge connection comprising a curled lip on one of said members providing a tubular hinge part, the other of said members having a pair of arms projecting from one edge thereof and spaced to receive the tubular hinge part lengthwise therebetween, and means on said arms entering the tubular hinge part; and a slight protrusion on an end of the curled lip so positioned that the adjacent arm rides up and over the protrusion during swinging of the blade member to inoperative position, whereby said protrusion holds the blade member against accidental displacement from its inoperative position.

4. A can opener comprising: two sheet metal stampings, one of which constitutes a handle member and the othera blade member; means hingedly connecting said members in a manner enabling the blade member to be swung from an inoperative position folded flat against the handle member to an operative position substantially perpendicular to the handle member, said hinge connection comprising, spaced hinge forming parts projecting from an edge of one of said members, a cooperatin hinge forming part projectin from the adjacent edge of the other of said members and received between said spaced hinge forming parts, interengagingloop and trunnion portions on the said cooperating hinge forming parts; and a detent utilizing theinherent resiliency of the spaced hingeforming parts foryield- .ingly retaining theblade member foldedfiat 

